Comments on Peng Dehuai’s Report [1] Concerning the Chain of Command of the Public Security Forces


Liu, Zhu, and Zhou have reviewed it.
Please have Peng’s office handle it.
(July 8, 1952)


I agree with the second opinion. Please ask Xiao Xiangrong to draft an instruction.
[1]
Peng Dehuai was then Vice Chairman of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.
[2] Liu refers to Liu Shaoqi. Zhu refers to Zhu De. Zhou refers to Zhou Enlai.


Mao Zedong
July 8
[3]


In the minutes of a meeting convened by the Military Commission at Peng Dehuai’s suggestion to further clarify the chain of command of the public security forces, it is stated that two options were put forward for resolving the issue of subordination. The second option—referred to as “the second opinion” in Mao Zedong’s comments—is as follows: Maintain the dual leadership arrangement established in the decision on the subordination of the public security forces, which was approved by the Central Committee and the Military Commission on December 10, 1951; however, it should be made clear that leadership by the military regions is to be primary. That is to say, education, deployment, and operational command of the public security forces shall all fall under the jurisdiction of the military regions, with public security headquarters at all levels functioning under the leadership of their respective military regions. Leadership by higher-level public security headquarters over lower-level ones will be primarily of a professional nature and must simultaneously be communicated to the relevant military regions. As for supply matters, all such functions are to be centrally managed by the logistics departments of the major administrative regions. When implementing this plan, in the Northeast and North China areas—where a vertical command structure for public security headquarters had already been established—the Military Commission’s Public Security Headquarters will continue to serve concurrently as the North China Public Security Headquarters, directly commanding the public security forces in all provinces of North China, while the Northeast Military Region will exercise command over the public security forces in the provinces of Northeast China through the Northeast Public Security Headquarters.
[4]
Xiao Xiangrong was then Director of the General Office of the People’s Revolutionary Military Commission.